Moonlit Reunion

Everything happened quickly and ended just as swiftly.

When the infant's head was severed by 'Wu Zhen', the rain that had been brewing in the sky suddenly poured down in torrents—a deluge of monumental proportions.

The sound of rain drowned out all other noises. 'Wu Zhen' held the infant's head in her hand while its massive, rotting body collapsed like a pile of mud in the downpour. Having lost its life, even the decaying flesh could no longer cling to its withering form. In mere moments, the infant's corpse was washed clean, leaving only a skeleton behind—the putrid flesh attached to it had been swept away like mud from a stone.

Amidst the heavy rain, 'Wu Zhen' stood silently before the strange skeleton, then placed the severed head on the ground and murmured something too softly to be heard over the rain. The one who should have heard those words was already dead, so they were destined to remain unknown.

Despite the pouring rain, Mei Zhuyu could still smell the stench of decay. Though the infant was dead, his expression remained tense. While 'Wu Zhen' gazed at the skeleton, Mei Zhuyu stared coldly at her.

Finally, 'Wu Zhen' had seen enough and turned her attention to Mei Zhuyu standing nearby—and the Peach Wood Sword he held pointed at her.

"Get out of her body."

Even if the words were lost in the rain, 'Wu Zhen' clearly read Mei Zhuyu's lips. She curved her lips slightly and said, "I did help you, after all. Is this how you treat your ancestor who went through so much trouble to come to your aid?"

Mei Zhuyu remained unmoved, the Peach Wood Sword still trained on her, making it clear he would strike if she refused to leave Wu Zhen's body.

'Wu Zhen' scoffed, noticing the blood still seeping from the wound on Mei Zhuyu's abdomen. Bright red streaks dripped down the hem of his robe, yet he seemed entirely unaware.

What an interesting little brat. 'Wu Zhen' crossed her arms and laughed heartily, deliberately adopting a sinister tone. "I've been dead for so many years, and it's rare to find a body this compatible for possession. Ah, it feels so good to be alive. I might just keep this body for myself."

Before she could finish speaking, 'Wu Zhen' froze in shock as Mei Zhuyu suddenly thrust his sword straight at her forehead. Her body swayed, and a shadowy mass retreated from it, stretching into the form of a cat in midair.

The cat spoke in a human voice, sounding both amused and exasperated. "I was just joking! It's not easy for me to maintain this half-soul possession after death. Even if you don't care about your ancestor, I'll dissipate into nothingness soon enough. No need to be so hasty."

Mei Zhuyu ignored the words, pressing one hand to Wu Zhen's wrist to check for any abnormalities while placing a finger on her forehead, where a drop of blood remained. Forcing the intruder out of her celestial palace had undoubtedly caused some disturbance.

Wu Zhen woke swiftly. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw her husband's rain-soaked face—his brows furrowed tightly, his dark hair plastered to his cheeks, the sharp line of his jaw like a blade's edge.

Sitting up abruptly, Wu Zhen wiped the water from her face and asked incredulously, "Was I just possessed? Someone took over my body?"She looked rather irritable, so Mei Zhuyu had to comfort her, "You inherited the legacy of the Cat Official, and the Cat Official's primordial pearl is within your body. The one just now was the original owner of that pearl. Since you received her legacy and obtained her pearl, she could so easily possess your body. An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to."

Wu Zhen wanted to curse some more when she suddenly noticed the wound on Mei Zhuyu's abdomen. She hissed and lifted his clothes to take a closer look.

"How can you act so normal with such a severe injury!" Wu Zhen pushed Mei Zhuyu down and scooped him up in her arms. Startled, Mei Zhuyu instinctively lifted his legs and landed back on his feet—his legs were too long.

Wu Zhen glared at him. "Stay still."

Mei Zhuyu glanced silently at her stomach. "I can walk on my own."

Wu Zhen: "Fine, fine, walk on your own then. In this heavy rain, let's find a place to treat your wound."

Mei Zhuyu: "This area is quite desolate, but I saw an inn at the foot of the mountain over there when I came. Should we rest there first?"

Wu Zhen: "Whatever, as long as you quickly patch up that hole in your stomach. Just looking at it makes my own stomach ache."

At her words, Mei Zhuyu grew tense, and the two of them stared at each other's abdomens with concern.

Just as they were about to leave, they were called back. The shadowy cat figure spoke in the gradually lightening rain, "You're just leaving like that? What about me?"

Wu Zhen turned her head and gave a forced smile. "As for you, you look like you're about to dissipate. Don't bother moving around—stay here and keep your companion company for his final moments."

Mei Zhuyu also glanced at her but said nothing, merely nodding in acknowledgment before walking away without looking back.

The cat shadow chuckled and walked over to the now-cleansed skull, lying down in front of it. Her eyes met the hollow, dark sockets of the skull as if locking gazes. After a while, the cat shadow lowered her head and closed her eyes. Slowly, the shadow dissipated without a sound, and at the same time, the skull rapidly petrified into dust. Only the skeletal remains were left behind.

Wu Zhen tightly held Mei Zhuyu's slightly trembling left hand as they walked together along the mountain path in the rain.

"I didn't expect this," Mei Zhuyu suddenly said in the quiet. The "Infant" was the existence he despised and hated the most—it had tormented him for years after his parents' death. This time, he had thought completely destroying it would be difficult. Yet he hadn't expected things to end so abruptly. Instead of feeling relief, he was left with wordless confusion and a sigh.

Wu Zhen saw through his thoughts and said, "Oh, so my husband didn't expect a sudden savior to take care of the villain?" She laughed. "This isn't a story—did we really have to fight back and forth across heaven and earth, then barely manage to kill the bad guy with our last breath for it to count as a proper ending?"

Mei Zhuyu had no retort. Her laughter dispelled the sigh in his heart, leaving him to stare at her in silence.

Wu Zhen squeezed his fingers hard, almost gritting her teeth. "You're already this badly injured—that's dramatic enough."

But Mei Zhuyu replied, "It's just a wound on the abdomen. Not a major injury. Once it's treated and bandaged, it'll be fine. No need to worry."As a result, the man who had confidently assured her there was nothing to worry about suddenly fainted without reason half an hour later, and no matter what Wu Zhen did, she couldn’t wake him. Her intuition told her it was because of the wound on his abdomen—this injury wasn’t as simple as it appeared.

Helpless, Wu Zhen had no choice but to take him back to Changxi Temple.

If the last time had been a mere coincidence, this time counted as Wu Zhen’s first formal visit. Though she was bringing an unconscious Mei Zhuyu with her, she still received a far more ceremonious reception than before. After all, in all the years of Changxi Temple’s existence, this was the first time a disciple’s wife had ever visited—how rare was that?

A large group of Daoist priests, all dressed in robes with their hair tied in traditional topknots, stood in rows from tallest to shortest. Their ages varied, expressions diverse, yet each bowed to her with utmost courtesy. If not for her husband’s inexplicable unconsciousness, Wu Zhen would have certainly taken the time to chat with these Daoist masters, young and old.

Mei Zhuyu was examined for a while by Siqing Daozhang and several senior brothers before Wu Zhen was invited over. A white-bearded elder—one of Mei Zhuyu’s senior brothers—explained to her, "Junior Brother has been invaded by malevolent energy, his consciousness clouded. He won’t wake for now."

Wu Zhen thought to herself, That monster truly is vicious—he left a hidden trap behind. It must have been those bone spikes. Though her face showed little anger, remaining calm, she had already decided to revisit that monster’s lair in a couple of days and grind whatever remained of his bones to dust.

"Don’t worry," the white-bearded senior brother reassured her kindly. "Though Junior Brother is young, his cultivation is no less than ours. Moreover, he has always been strong-willed since childhood. He will surely overcome this crisis and soon dispel the malevolent energy."

His words sounded comforting, but Wu Zhen wasn’t some naive girl who would believe everything she was told. She knew the situation wasn’t as simple as the elder made it out to be—in fact, it was quite serious. This wasn’t an ordinary case of malevolent energy possession. The longer it dragged on, the worse it would become. If he didn’t wake within three days, he might never wake again.

Siqing Daozhang had left the explanations to his disciples, maintaining an air of profound wisdom himself. He waited for his disciple’s wife to seek his advice on how to wake Mei Zhuyu faster, but after waiting in vain, he finally cleared his throat and spoke in a solemn, deep voice, "If you wish for Guyu to wake sooner, I have a method."

The dignified elder indeed proposed a solution. "His mind is clouded by malevolent energy—we simply need to wake him." Though Siqing Daozhang made it sound simple, the actual process was far more complicated. He intended to draw Wu Zhen into Mei Zhuyu’s celestial abode to help him dispel the malevolent energy.

"Since the two of you were able to swap bodies before, it proves your hearts are connected, that you trust each other deeply. This is exceedingly rare. Were it not so, I wouldn’t dare let you attempt such an unconventional method." This time, Siqing Daozhang carried himself with the gravitas of a venerable elder. Had Wu Zhen not seen his rough, bandit-like demeanor before, she might have suspected she was looking at an impostor.

"Are you willing to help my disciple Guyu?"

Naturally, Wu Zhen agreed. After her consent, Siqing Daozhang spent half a day preparing before finally announcing they could proceed.Mei Zhuyu had been unconscious for over a day now. His sleeping expression was peaceful, just like ordinary sleep, without any signs of being bewitched.

Siqing Daozhang had set up an incense burner and other items by the bedside. Dressed in a grayish-blue Daoist robe, he brandished a red wooden sword and began to dance. Wu Zhen found it somewhat familiar—she had previously seen groups of elderly people in the nearby city performing similar dances at the market, with young men and women singing alongside. The local customs here were different from those in Chang'an; everyone loved singing and dancing, and during festivals, the nearby cities were always filled with music and dance. In such a short time, Wu Zhen had already encountered this twice.

With an understanding gaze, Wu Zhen watched Siqing Daozhang dance, thinking to herself that this Daoist priest was probably a standout figure at song and dance gatherings. Then, deciding that ignorance was bliss, she closed her eyes. To be honest, the dance was downright ugly.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in Chang'an—not the Chang'an of today, but the Chang'an of nearly twenty years ago.